Myofascial pains are one of the most common causes of lower back pains. The two most commonly affected lower back muscles are the quadratus lumborum and lumbar paravertebral muscles. Conventional devices used to relieve lower back muscle pains frequently have a vibrating surface or roller surface which makes contact with the lower back region.
Previous devices have not been designed for use with a myotherapy treatment technique. Myotherapy is the treatment of muscle spasms through focally applied pressure to myofascial regions of pain (small bands of muscle spasms). The treatment involves a gradual increase in the applied pressure to release the spasm. The technique has been used for some time to manually treat lower back pain. Massage devices designed for myotherapy treatment are not known.
Massage devices which are worn like a belt to provide general, but not focused, massaging action are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,340 discloses a device for applying heat and vibration to the body by generating a magnetic field to relieve pain and stiffness, which device has individual hollow cases pivotally coupled together in a stand of cases, the ends of which are coupled to belt portions adapted to be attached together to support the strand around a body member. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,140 describes a vibratory massage device which has several belts of varying sizes, to which one or two vibrator units can be releasably attached for use on various body parts. These devices do not apply focussed pressure to the body areas to be treated.
Massaging devices for applying massaging action against the lower back by lying against the device are also known in the prior art. Typically, such devices are pad- or pillow-like and apply general massaging action to the body lying or siting on the device, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,474 (padding material having massaging mechanisms thereunder), U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,517 (back massager attached to a back cushion), U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,618 (hydromassage pillow using heated jet pulsed water in a hollow pillow cushion), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,096 (massage apparatus which includes a mat that slips over the back of a seat). These devices, however, are not adjustable to apply focused massaging action as desired by the operator of the device.
Conversely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,940 ('940) describes a method for applying a mechanical massage which, while the back of a user is against the back rest of a chair or lying on a bed, uses a massage mechanism device having a pair of spaced parallel arm members and a massaging wheel rotatably supported on one end of each of the arm members. Although the device of patent '940 allows adjustment of the distance between each arm member, it does not permit focused massage utilizing heat or vibration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,582 ('582) discloses a device having a massaging mechanism with a plurality of rotatable heads with projections which can be positioned upon the user's back for applying massaging action thereto. The user lies upon their stomach while the massaging mechanism is positioned to apply massage therapy to the user's back. The device of the '582 patent has a frame with legs that permit positioning the frame on top of a massage table/bed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,568 likewise shows a back massaging device for use on a bed to apply massage therapy to the back while the user is on their stomach, which device has a clamp for securing to a bed frame and an arm for positioning the massaging device. Neither of these devises permits the user to lie on his back and adjust the pressure. Each of these prior devices requires a second person to operate and position the device correctly.
Handheld massaging devices are also well known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,095 shows a pressure-point attachment for use with electrical hand-held massagers to apply point-pressure combined with vibration to known body pressure points. U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,321 discloses a therapeutic massage unit having an enclosed casing with cylindrical body wall and hemispherical end wall, and a handle for manually applying massage to the body.
Massage devices which apply heat and vibration are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,326 describes a vibratory therapeutic device which has a plurality of interchangeable massage heads, wherein only one massage head may be used at a time and heated air flow may be applied through the head. U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,949 describes an infrared massage device which has a hand-held housing, a mechanical vibration generator disposed within the housing, mechanical vibration being transmitted to at least a heat-conductive portion of the housing, and at least one source of infrared radiation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,993 discloses a hand-held vibratory massage device with a heating element having an applicator head which can apply both tapping and rubbing action. U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,785 shows a hand-held massager device used to apply vibration and infrared heat to the body, which massager includes a floating head connected to the main housing of the massager by a coil compression spring.
Handheld devices do not permit the user to apply pressure to their own backs. Such devices require a second person to apply the pressure. Also, the pressure applied manually by a second person does not permit the user to finely adjust the pressure applied but instead requires the user to give the second person verbal instructions which may or may not be understood and followed. Furthermore, prior art devices, which a user lies upon, do not permit focused application of pressure, massaging action, or heat, but instead provide generalized massaging action or heat.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe or suggest the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a massaging device to alleviate lower back myofascial pain solving the aforementioned problems is desired.